Setting Free
by gaudy
Summary: Sequel to Walls of the Mind. *Complete*


Title: Setting Free  
Author: Gaudicia  
E-mail: gaudy9@hotmail.com   
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Roswell characters.   
Rating: Pg-13  
Category: UC-Mi/L  
Summary: Sequel to Walls of the Mind.   
Distribution: Please, ask first.  
Dedication: Thanks to Nikki (Polarist) for correcting my fic and Laura.   
Author's note: This is the last part of the series.  
Feedback: Is always welcome.  
  
  
Setting Free  
  
This was it, what she had always wanted, her dream wedding. The church was packed and the groom was standing there, waiting for her to turn into his bride. As she approached him, a sense of dread filled her heart and her feet started to feel heavy. She stood in front of her soon to be husband and smiled up at him. "Michael," she breathed out.  
  
Michael nodded a small, sad smile tugged his lips. "Maria."   
  
Maria took her place in front of the Priest, Father Morris, not missing a beat of the pain in Michael's eyes. 'I never got him to love me.' She heard Father Morris talking, but his words barely reached her ears. 'After being with Liz he could never return my love.  
  
Maria studied Michael under her eyelashes. 'He's like a tortured soul… my doing,' she realized. Slowly memories of the past began to make its way to her conscious. 'I was selfish. I knew about them. Max and I knew about them,' she thought, just hitting her the things she did to make them pay. 'My best friend ended up in a mental hospital and Michael, my sweet Michael is a dead man walking.'  
****  
  
Maria paced thinking, calculating their move. "They've been going out behind our backs, Max. We need to do something."  
  
Max twirled the basketball on his hand. "What can we do?" He asked in a bored manner.  
  
Maria took the ball from his hands. "They been spending the night together," Maria looked at her watched, "I don't think he's there yet."  
  
Max looked at Maria inquiringly, "You're saying?"  
  
Maria began to bounce the ball. "Well, you still want Liz, right?-Of course you do. So go get her. Make her yours and I'll make Michael mine-tonight," she finished, scoring.  
  
"Damn. I broke a nail."  
****  
  
Tears are freely falling down her face now; she flashed Michael a watery smile and softly shook her head.  
  
Michael slightly nodded. He knew there was something wrong, but he couldn't tell what it was exactly. He turned his attention back to the Priest and as he listened to him, he knew he was going to hell, and it didn't matter how many times he tried to justify it. He held his breath as the moment of truth came.  
  
Michael cleared his throat and looked at Father Morris. "I do," a slight tremor was heard in his answer.  
  
Maria couldn't believe it; he had accepted her as his wife. As she heard the question directed towards her she felt her voice leave her. 'Can I do it? Can I condemn him and myself to an eternity of hell?' She nervously started to look around and for the first time saw Liz, sitting in the first row of the groom's side, Lydia beside her. What captivated her were Liz's eyes, they seemed sad, alive…and alert. As she stared at Liz, she made her decision; she turned to Father Morris. "No," she said softly at first then repeated it more strongly, for everyone to hear. "No."  
  
Everyone there gasped once they realized what Maria had answered.  
  
Maria stood, staring at Michael, ignoring the whispers and murmurs. "I can't do it…I knew," she confessed to Michael and as his eyes widen she knew he had understood. "I was jealous and selfish. I thought I loved you, but I just wanted to make you pay for what you did. I thought that by making you be with me I would get my revenge, but I only managed to make us miserable."  
  
Maria noticed that he stood petrified on his spot and she looked where she had last seen Liz, only to find she was already gone.  
  
Maria took off the veil and turned her gaze back to Michael and sheepishly said, "You should go after her. She needs you."  
  
Michael didn't think about it twice and broke into a dead run.   
  
Maria stood in front of the crowd, all their attention was directed at her; she threw the veil and bouquet at them. "Thanks for coming, but as you can see the wedding is off. Ciao."  
****  
  
Michael looked around and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Liz, standing and hugging Lydia. Jogging, he approached them. "What's going on?" He asked clueless and surprised by what he was witnessing.  
  
"Liz, I wish you luck," Lydia said giving her one last hug.  
  
"Hi," Liz whispered, shyly, her voice hoarse because of the many days without use.  
  
"Hi," Michael whispered back, lifting his hand to touch her cheek.   
  
Liz stepped back, making Michael's eyes shine with pain.  
  
Michael put his hands in his pockets. "Since…since--?"  
  
"When you left." Liz shrugged," I guess I had a break through."  
  
"Why wasn't I told?" Michael questioned.  
  
Liz sighed, "I didn't want them too." The tension was unbearable, Liz rubbed her arms as she looked around, trying to get something to catch her attention and shield her from the pain.  
  
Michael took a step towards her. "Liz, I…I…"  
  
Liz held up her hand. "Don't, Michael, just don't."  
  
Michael grabbed her hand and started to kiss it. "I just need to know you are real, Liz. That this isn't a dream."  
  
Liz closed her eyes at the sensation of Michael's lips on her arm and hand. "Michael, please."  
  
Michael continued to kiss and softly squeeze her hand, oblivious to her protest. "I love you," Michael whispered, love, sadness, wonder, pain, and hope in his voice.  
  
Liz stepped closer, until she could wrap her arms around him. "I love you too."  
  
Michael wiped off the tear that fell on her cheek, putting his fingers through her hair.   
  
Liz stared into his eyes, her love towards him shinning in her eyes; she tiptoed and pecked his lips, once, twice, until they were tongue-tied. Braking apart they touched their foreheads.  
  
"I love you," Liz repeated her breath tingling his lips. Liz licked her lips and tasted the salty tear. "But we can't."  
  
Michael was openly crying. "Liz, it was all a set up."  
  
Liz put her finger on his lips. "I know, but we need time. Time to learn to trust each other again. Time away from the pain, memories…and one another."  
  
Michael pulled her even closer, and hugged her waist. "Don't leave me. Just don't leave me," he managed to say through his sobs.  
  
Liz returned his firm, strong hugged. "You'll see it's for the best. We need to learn to live again, to be ourselves."  
  
A taxi pulled over. Liz looked at it, and then turned back to Michael. "I have to go." Liz kissed him again, they could taste their tears in the kiss and neither knew who they were from.  
  
Liz set herself free from Michael's hold and opened the door of the taxi.  
  
"Where are you going?" Michael asked, sounding tired and heartbroken.  
  
Liz sadly smiled, "I don't know… I have to make up for the time I lost."  
  
Michael looked at her hopefully. "Will we see each other again?"  
  
Liz smiled again, a smile that promised many things. "Maybe, if the time is right and we truly love each other we will, and when our hearts heal and we learn to live again that will happen." Liz got inside the cab and pulled the window down. "I already forgive you, Michael…a long time ago. I guess it was myself I didn't forgave for falling in their trap." Liz shrugged. "Life has a nice way of playing around with people." Liz took a deep, unsteady breath. "I may not like it, but I know I have to say it, Michael. If you ever have the chance to love again, do it, Michael. Don't let anything hold you back." Liz saw Michael was ready to protest. "No, Michael, I mean it. I love you too much to deny you that happiness."  
  
"We have to go, lady," the cab driver said.  
  
"I love you, Liz. I'll always be waiting for you." Michael grabbed her chin and pulled her into a kiss.   
  
Michael pulled away as the car started to move and they each took in different directions. Their shoulders shook from the sobs they held back. Once they couldn't see each other, their sobs turned to heart wrenching wails. Their lonely hearts calling out to one another and only the hope that they would find each other again made them go on and face the uncertain future that every day without each other turned colder and lonelier.   
  
The end! 


End file.
